Joan Fontaine

Biography

Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland, known in the film world as Joan Fontaine, was an illustrious English-American actress born on October 22, 1917, in Tokyo, Japan, during the era of the International Settlement. Her father, a British patent attorney, had a successful practice in Japan, but the family's move to California was prompted by Joan and her older sister Olivia de Havilland's health issues. Settling in Saratoga, the sisters faced their parents' tumultuous marriage, leading to their eventual divorce. Their mother, who had once aspired to be an actress, hoped to fulfill her dreams through her daughters.

While Olivia began her theatrical career, Joan returned to Tokyo for education at the American School. She returned to California in 1934 and soon joined a theater group in San Jose and later Los Angeles, adopting the stage name Joan Burfield to avoid overshadowing Olivia. Her breakthrough came in 1937 when she adopted the name Joan Fontaine and landed a role in You Can't Beat Love, followed by several uncredited performances.

Fontaine's career took off with her Academy Award nomination for her role in Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca (1940), a recognition that established her in Hollywood. She won her first Oscar for Suspicion (1941) and continued to star in notable films like This Above All (1942) and The Constant Nymph (1943). Although she faced ups and downs in her career, including a hiatus in the late 1940s, Fontaine remained active in television and theater, showcasing her talent in productions like The Lion in Winter. Her final film appearance was in The Witches (1966), and she left an indelible mark as a cinematic icon, passing away on December 15, 2013.